Soil Science Society of America

On April 27, 2010, Mark McClain, Sid Davis, and Phil Small (as NSCSS President, Board Chairperson, and Secretary) signed a new 5 year MOU with the Soil Science Society of America. Signing for SSSA was Nick Comerford and Ellen Bergfeld (as SSSA President, and as CEO).

As outlined in the MOU, our Society is forging closer ties with SSSA, with mutual efforts ongoing to explore how our two societies can better support each other's goals.  A chapter of SSSA since 1996, NSCSS maintains formal ties with SSSA that go beyond the MOU.

Beginning in 2008, NSCSS consolidated member oral presentations at SSSA' annual meeting under a new NSCSS division dedicated to soil science business ethics, business development, and consulting career opportunities.

As of 2008,  SSSA, in conjunction with the Agronomic Science Foundation, administers and awards scholarship funds on behalf of NSCSS,  with substantial NSCSS representation on the awards committee (Phil Small, Larry Baldwin, Steve Currie, Nan Gray, John Zupancic). Up to two $1000 scholarships are awarded each year to promising undergraduates with a strong interest in the business of soil science.  

NSCSS is represented by members on the Council of Soil Science Examiners (Pierre Bordenave, Kevin Raley, John Zupancic), the Soil Survey Horizons Editorial Board (Russell Losco), the Soil Certification Certification Board (Oren Reedy), North American Proficiency Testing Program-Oversight Cmte. (Mark Flock) and the Accreditation of Soil Science Programs Committee (Phil Small).  SSSA conducts a joint monthly teleconference to communicate and coordinate licensing and certification efforts with NSCSS (Larry Baldwin, Mark McClain, Phil Small).

History

1991

From January 1991, at the NSCSS Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado, to October 1991, Mark McClain (1996 NSCSS President) and other consultants worked with (1990-1991 SSSA President) Fred Miller and Tom Hall, Assistant Vice President of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) and in conjunction with ARCPACS to develop a model act for states to adopt in anticipation of licensing soil scientists in a state registry. From 1991 through 1997, Mark McClain (1996 NSCSS President) was involved with the Council of Soil Science Examiners (CSSE), first assisting on SSSA committees in the formation of the Council of CSSE and subsequently as co-author of the “Soil Science Professional Activity Requirements” from 1991-1997. The purpose of the CSSE was to write a national licensing examination for professional soil scientists. NSCSS was also involved in the SSSA Membership Committee from 1991-1996.

1992

The 1991-1992 SSSA President, William McFee, gave a presentation entitled “Soil Science Recognition” at the 1992 NSCSS Annual Meeting in Newport Beach, California. Mark McClain (1996 NSCSS President) was a member of SSSA's Continuing Education Committee in 1993.

1995

Larry Wilding (1993-1994 SSSA President) reached out to the consulting community and to NSCSS by inviting Mark McClain (1996 NSCSS President) while participating in an ARCPACS breakfast to contribute to the SSSA Ad Hoc Strategic Planning Committee in 1995. As a result of these committee activities, McClain and Eileen Kladivko from Purdue University wrote the SSSA Mission Statement. Mark McClain (1996 NSCSS President) was a member of the Soil Science Competencies Committee in 1996 to develop SSSA Performance Objectives to be used by the Council of Soil Science Examiners (CSSE).

1996

Pierre Bordenave (1995 NSCSS President) and Mark McClain (1996 NSCSS President) met in the summer of 1996 in Madison, Wisconsin with officials and board members from ASA and SSSA to discuss the cooperative relationship between ASA, SSSA, and NSCSS. There was some opposition to this relationship based primarily on fiscal concerns rather than professional ventures. In 1996, Mark McClain (1996 NSCSS President), sent a letter to and met with H. H. Cheng (1995-1996 SSSA President) in Minneapolis, Minnesota to discuss the admittance of NSCSS as an official chapter of SSSA. NSCSS officially became a chapter of SSSA on November 2, 1996. Mark McClain (1996 NSCSS President) was a member of the SSSA committees: Continuing Education Committee in 1993, Soil Science Competencies Committee Member in 1996, and the Soil Science Competencies Committee in 1996 to develop SSSA Performance Objectives to be used by the Council of Soil Science Examiners (CSSE).

1997

In 1997-1998, Mark McClain (1996 NSCSS President), was on the Accreditation Committee to review curricula to insure that students can pass the ARCPACS certification examination.
Historically, many NSCSS members have made oral and poster presentations at SSSA Annual Meetings as well as published articles in SSSA journals, newsletters, and magazines. An invited presentation was made by Mark McClain (1996 NSCSS President) from Wayne Robarge, 1996 Chair of the Soil Chemistry Division of SSSA, to a group of soil chemistry graduate students at the SSSA Annual Meeting in Anaheim, California. The paper was used to show the diversity of practices by soil consultants.

1998

In 1998, at the SSSA Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, Barry Dutton (1999 NSCSS President), Donn Smith (1998 NSCSS President), and Phil Small (1993 NSCSS President) met with Gary Bryant, Tom Hall (Assistant Vice President of ASA, Lee Sommers (1997-1998 SSSA President), and Gary Petersen (1998-1999 SSSA President) to discuss the on-going cooperative relationship between SSSA and NSCSS.
Starting in 1998, many NSCSS members have served on the Council of Soil Science Examiners (CSSE): Mark McClain (1996 NSCSS President), Sid Davis (1997 NSCSS President), and Paul Brandt (2000 NSCSS President) from 1998-2000 this appointment was shared among these three members. Mark McClain (1996 NSCSS President) and Lisa Palazzi served on the CSSE from 2001-2003.

1999

Barry Dutton (1999 NSCSS President) attended several meetings and teleconferences with SSSA leadership and was very instrumental in planning and carrying out the Soil Survey Centennial Meeting as a part of the joint meetings between SSSA and NSCSS from October 31-November 4, 1999. Gary Petersen (1998-1999 SSSA President) also attended the NSCSS Business Meeting. Dutton also worked with Karl Glassner on student functions at these joint meetings. In 1999, Barry Dutton (1999 NSCSS President) and Chuck Jackson (1999-2000 NSCSS Executive Director) met with Tom Hall (Assistant Vice President of ASA), as a result of Dutton’s leadership, the SSSA and NSCSS shared their respective membership lists for the purpose of outreach and cooperation.
Starting in 1999, NSCSS representatives serve on the Editorial Board of the SSSA publication Soil Survey Horizons. E. Philip Small (1993 NSCSS President) served from 1999-2003, and Terry Cook from 2003 to the present.

2000

Paul Brandt (2000 NSCSS President) organized the NSCSS portion of the joint annual meetings with SSSA on November 5-9, 2001. David M. Kral (Associate Executive Vice President of ASA), told Clifford Landers (2001 NSCSS President) that ASA and SSSA were not interested in a reciprocal agreement to hold joint meetings between SSSA and NSCSS in 2001. In November 2000, Pierre Bordenave (1995 NSCSS President) gave a business seminar and workshop during the SSSA Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

2001

On February 5, 2001, Clifford Landers (2001 NSCSS President) and Robert J. Luxmoore (2000-2001 SSSA President) signed a four year Memorandum of Understanding between NSCSS and SSSA (MOU).

2002

In 2002, Sid Davis (1997 NSCSS President) and John Dickey (2002 NSCSS President) met with Michael J. Singer (2002-2003 SSSA President) about the MOU and strategies to continue the cooperative relationship between SSSA and NSCSS.

2003

On November 4, 2003 following extensive conversations and planning with SSSA leadership, Robert Kendall (2003 NSCSS President), planned a Roundtable Forum entitled “Enhancing Recognition of Soil Science as a Professional Discipline” at the SSSA Meeting in Denver, Colorado.

2004

At the SSSA Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington, under the leadership of Tom Flack (2004 NSCSS President), a poster session and field tour entitled “X” was used to promote NSCSS and consulting soil scientists.

2005

In 2005, Tom Flack (2004 NSCSS President) was involved in strategic planning input with SSSA and to discuss the licensing of soil scientists at the state-level. NSCSS was invited to participate in the SSSA Annual Meeting in New Orleans in 2007. Flack discussed the following opportunities: (1) invited by SSSA to participate with the International Union of Soil Scientists (IUSS) meeting held July 9-15, 2006 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (2) invited to join with SSSA in supporting the efforts of the Smithsonian Soil Science Exhibit in Washington, D.C., (3) invited NSCSS to explore the training needs of consulting soil scientists and how SSSA could assist, and (4) NSCSS was invited to participate in SSSA committees. John Havlin (2004-2005 SSSA President attended the NSCSS Annual Meeting and Field Tour in Hawaii and Kauai from January 23-28, 2005 organized by Phil Scoles (2005 NSCSS President) and Pierre Bordenave (1995 NSCSS President).

2007

On April 15, 2007, Kari Sever (2007 NSCSS President), and Pierre Bordenave (2007 Board Chairperson), signed a 3-year MOU with SSSA. This MOU was signed by NSCSS and Rattan Lal (2006-2007 SSSA President) and Ellen Bergfeld, ASA CEO. In 2007 NSCSS leaders gave presentations at SSSA's Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana on ethics, business development, and career opportunities.

2008

NSCSS is forging closer ties with SSSA, with Kari Sever (2007 NSCSS President) attending SSSA's 2008 Board retreat to explore how our two societies can better support each other's goals. SSSA is considering NSCSS' request to administer and award scholarship funds on behalf of NSCSS. SSSA would do this in conjunction with the Agronomic Science Foundation. These funds were allocated earlier in 2008 during the NSCSS Annual Meeting in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. SSSA and NSCSS laid the groundwork for a renewed MOU while participating in the SSSA Annual Meeting in Houston, Texas.

2009

NSCSS - SSSA Scholarship was officially established. Details are available on SSSA's website: soils.org/awards/award/detail/?a=59.

NSCSS's Agenda for November 4, 2009, SSSA Annual Meeting in Pittsburg, PA.

2010

On April 28, 2010, Mark McClain (2010 NSCSS President), Sid Davis (2010-11 Board Chairperson), and Philip Small (2010-11 NSCSS Secretary) signed the current 3-year MOU with SSSA. This MOU was signed by NSCSS and Nick Comerford (2010 SSSA President) and Ellen Bergfeld, ASA CEO. In 2010 NSCSS leaders will give presentations at SSSA's Annual Meeting in Long Beach, CA on ethics, business development, and career opportunities.